Denis Kehoe

Denis Kehoe is a Lecturer in Visual Culture at the National College of Art & Design (NCAD), Dublin, where he also serves as Access Scheme Tutor and English Language Tutor. His interdisciplinary practice merges academic teaching with performance art, queer activism, and literary creation under the personas Esther Raquel Minsky and Oscar Esterson. Key affiliations include NCAD, collaborations with international institutions like Bezalel Academy (Jerusalem) and the Academy of Fine Arts (Warsaw), and participation in festivals such as Soul Noir’s Dark Entries series.

Research interests focus on queer theory, gender studies, and transnational cultural histories, particularly exploring representations of women in modern/postmodern contexts, Yiddish/Polish literature, and Irish material culture. Current projects include a transhistorical PhD proposal on 'Polish-Jewish Prostitutes' in literature and cinema, alongside his fourth novel and performance-based art projects. He has received multiple grants from NCAD and the Arts Council for research in Poland, Brazil, and Paris.

Notable exhibitions include Traces of Esther (2017) and At Sea (2020), while performances span collaborations like the JOYCESTAGERS’ Cyclops episode performance (2018). His writing spans novels, catalog essays, and conference papers addressing queer psychogeography and Irish cinema. Awards include Dublin City Council’s Literature Bursary (2011) and multiple Arts Council Travel Awards (2012–2018).

Grants and funding have supported his Yiddish language studies at Paris’ Bibliotheque Medem and research in Brazil for his novel. Advising focuses on NCAD students through the Access Scheme and English language support, complemented by guest lecturing roles internationally. His From Balbriggan to Bray project (2022–present) combines performative walks with queer temporal exploration along Dublin’s coastline.